NEW SETTLEMENT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22421, 18 May 1936, Page 10

NEW SETTLEMENT

EAST COAST RAILWAY GOVERNMENT'S MOVE DIVISION OF CROWN LAND [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] GISBORNE. Saturday Indications that the Government does not propose to lose nny time in developing its own assets in the neighbourhood of the railway route between Gisbornc and Napier have been forthcoming from a number of oflioi.il quarters in recent weeks and the latest information bears out the impression that the prosecution of closer settlement on the line of the railway will be one of the objectives of the new administration. At this week's meeting of the Wairoa County Council a letter was received from the chief surveyor of the Ilawkc s Bay Land District enclosing a blue print of the proposed Kakariki Settlement Road planned to give access to the Kakariki block in preparation for subdivision of the land for closer settlement. This land comprises some 7000 or 8000 acres located on the Mohaka .Hivcr and is splendidly situated to reap the best advantage from the coming of flic railway. It is owned by the Lands Department, and while much of it is hilly, it is partially improved and settlers could bo located there with comparatively little preliminary work The property was formerly occupied by a well-known settler and since its acquisition by the Government, some years ago, has been managed by the Lands Department as a sheep station. The prospect of an early commencement of subdivisional activity in the Kakariki block was noted with interest by the County Council, as it will bring an increase in the number of individual land occupiers in the county and of roads built to give access to the new settlements. Undoubtedly, the latter will become the responsibility of the council. The likelihood of the Kotemaori block in the same neighbourhood being opened for settlement also during the next few months was mentioned and the council took the view that whatever was done in the matter of reading should be done with the knowledge of its engineer as the roads would have to bo taken over by the council for maintenance purposes in the future.